Parents and residents can now have their say on two new schools.

Leigh Academies Trust is building two new schools in Popes Field, Maidstone, one of which will provide a specialist education for children with autism.

A public consultation is now open for locals to share their views on the schools, which will bring 560 new school places.

Bearsted Primary Academy will provide 420 of those places, with each year group taking 60 pupils. It will also have a nursery for 26 children.

Snowfields Academy will support 140 students between 11 and 18 whose primary need is Autism Spectrum Disorder.

A statement from the trust reads: "This is an important step in our journey towards opening in September 2020 and we are looking forward to listening to your views in order to provide you with the best school possible."

The purpose of the consultation is to establish whether the trust should enter into a funding agreement with the Department for Education.

The consultation runs up to and including Sunday, December 22.

To respond to consultations on either school visit tinyurl.com/latsurveykm.

Planning permission for both schools was granted in April, despite Maidstone Borough Council receiving more than 600 letters of objection.

Read more: All the latest news from Maidstone.